The prince also visited the "Britain in Kuwait" trade fair and took part in a folk Kuwaiti dance.

On Thursday, he is due to visit British air force crews at Ali al-Salim air base, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kuwait City.

A squadron of 12 RAF Tornado fighters and 400 personnel help enforce the no-fly zone imposed by Britain and the United States over southern Iraq.

The prince, who is due to visit Saudi Arabia and Oman after Kuwait, will also tour a naval base and the Kuwait Scientific Center for the conservation of wildlife.

Prince Andrew, a 40-year-old Royal Navy officer who saw active service as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, is visiting Kuwait for the third time in the past two years – KUWAIT CITY (AFP)